Shalom,

Today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan has us beginning again in the Book of Proverbs. SUCH WISDOM is found here! I hope that YOU will take a fresh look at the great Wisdom hidden in these verses! Here are verses 1-8 for your edification! 

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, 3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, 4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth— 5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]— 6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles. 7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother.

Before Solomon became disallusioned enough to write Ecclesiastes, he knew WISDOM from GOD HIMSELF! Continue seeking WISDOM yourself and you will never be disappointed! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is POWERFUL! 

The Absoluteness Of Jesus Christ

He shall glorify Me. — John 16:14

The pietistic movements of to-day have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them; there is nothing about them that needs the Death of Jesus Christ, all that is required is a pious atmosphere, and prayer and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous, it did not cost the passion of God, it is not dyed in the blood of the Lamb, not stamped with the hall-mark of the Holy Ghost. It has not that mark on it which makes men say, as they look with awe and wonder – “That is the work of God Almighty.” That and nothing else is what the New Testament talks about.

The type of Christian experience in the New Testament is that of personal passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other type of Christian experience, so called, is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration, no being born again into the Kingdom in which Christ lives, but only the idea that He is our Pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is Saviour long before He is Pattern. To-day He is being despatched as the Figurehead of a Religion, a mere Example. He is that, but He is infinitely more; He is salvation itself. He is the Gospel of God.

Jesus said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,…He shall glorify Me.” When I commit myself to the revelation made in the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit Who begins to interpret to me what Jesus did and does in me subjectively all that Jesus Christ did for me objectively.

THIS is such a powerful TRUTH that seperates dead religion from a LIVING FAITH! Make sure that YOU are not simply following religion, but that you have a RELATIONSHIP with the One, True GOD through the BLOOD of JESUS the CHRIST! Here is Hillsong with "The Passion":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

I really like the message in The Spoken Word Church website devotional for today!

Be Faithful in the Little Things

Little hinges swing big doors. Acorns produce oak trees. Little things really do matter. Develop a passion for details.

Just do the basics. Keep a budget, balance your checkbook, pay your bills on time, plant your seeds in the work of God, expect to see miracles every day of your life.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." {Matthew 25:23}

This simple message is a huge key to walking in the fullness of the BLESSING of God in THIS life! Don't rush throught your days skipping over these essentials! The little things that make all the difference inthe world! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Every Little Thing":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Praising the Lord is one of the most powerful thing that you can do to defeat the enemy and bring all of his works to nothing in your life! PRAISE is one of the highest forms of prayer and has been shown under the Old Covenant to destroy enemiy armies! So here to make it easier for you to do is Psalm 148 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! 

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light!
4 Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.
6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over].
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps!
8 You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth!
12 Both young men and maidens, old men and children!
13 Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!
14 He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

HALELLUJAH! And here to help you further is Hillsong with "O Praise the Name (Anastasis)":

Shalom in Him! 

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers is an excellant place to start digging deeper into fellowship with Holy Spirit IN you so that HE can teach you everything that you need to know as a born again, Spirit-filled believer! We ARE HIS body on the earth! We represent JESUS and HE is expecting us to step it up in fellowship as HE fellowshipped during His ministry on the earth. Do not neglect your only TRUE Source of supply! 

The Concentration Of Spiritual Energy

…save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Galatians 6:14

If you want to know the energy of God (i.e., the resurrection life of Jesus) in your mortal flesh, you must brood on the tragedy of God. Cut yourself off from prying personal interest in your own spiritual symptoms and consider bare-spirited the tragedy of God, and instantly the energy of God will be in you. “Look unto Me,” pay attention to the objective Source and the subjective energy will be there. We lose power if we do not concentrate on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these, we are to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s centre in your preaching, and though your crowd may apparently pay no attention, they can never be the same again. If I talk my own talk, it is of no more importance to you than your talk is to me; but if I talk the truth of God, you will meet it again and so shall I. We have to concentrate on the great point of spiritual energy, the Cross, to keep in contact with that centre where all the power lies, and the energy will be let loose. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings the concentration is apt to be put not on the Cross of Christ, but on the effects of the Cross.

The feebleness of the churches is being criticized to-day, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this concentration of spiritual energy; we have not brooded enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of Redemption.

Here is Hillsong with "Grace To Grace":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is an excellent explanation of our NEW COVENANT with ALMIGHTY GOD that has been sealed by the BLOOD of JESUS!

A Great Plan

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. — GALATIANS 3:13

Part of the inheritance that Colossians 1:12-14 tells us we should be giving thanks to the Father for, is “. . . redemption through his blood . . . ” (verse 14).

What are we redeemed from? From the curse of the law. And what is the curse of the law? The only way to find out, is to go to the law and see what it says the curse is.

The term “the law,” as found in the New Testament, refers to the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. Reading there, we find that the curse, or punishment, for breaking God’s law is threefold:

1. Spiritual death (Genesis 2:17)

2. Poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

3. Sickness (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and Colossians 1:12-14 tells us to thank God for our redemption! We are to thank the Father for this great plan of redemption which He planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate! Thank You because I am redeemed from death! Thank You because I am redeemed from poverty! Thank You because I am redeemed from sickness! Thank You, Father!

AMEN! Now let's live every day as though we REALLY believe and expect this! Here is Hillsong with "Remembrance":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all! My day was filled with loving, fun, happy family time and then great fun with our 10 beautiful grandchildren! May this next year bring you to a place of even greater THANKSGIVING than ever before! Here is Hillsong with "Thank You, Lord":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional that we read every morning at Morning Prayer! This is especially important!

Thank You, Father

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. — COLOSSIANS 1:12-14

The New Covenant tells us we should be giving thanks unto the Father because He has made us able to be partakers of something. Of what? “. . . Of the inheritance of the saints in light”!

The Amplified Bible translates verse 13 as, “[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness . . . .”

God Himself has delivered us from the control of Satan! Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of darkness. God’s kingdom is the kingdom of light. The Father has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us out from under the control and dominion of darkness. Satan has no control over us. He cannot dominate us.

And we are told to thank God for that!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for making me fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Thank You for delivering me out of the authority of darkness. Thank You for transferring me into the kingdom of Your dear Son — the kingdom of light.

AMEN! Especially this week make sure that YOU are making and taking TIME every day to thank, praise and worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit for all that they arer doing on our behalf, and all that they have promised to do! Here is Hillsong with "Thank You!":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional.

Shallow And Profound

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. — 1 Corinthians 10:31

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow concerns of life are not ordained of God; they are as much of God as the profound. It is not your devotion to God that makes you refuse to be shallow, but your wish to impress other people with the fact that you are not shallow, which is a sure sign that you are a spiritual prig. Be careful of the production of contempt in yourself, it always comes along this line, and causes you to go about as a walking rebuke to other people because they are more shallow than you are. Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby.

To be shallow is not a sign of being wicked, nor is shallowness a sign that there are no deeps; the ocean has a shore. The shallow amenities of life, eating and drinking, walking and talking, are all ordained by God. These are the things in which Our Lord lived. He lived in them as the Son of God, and He said that “the disciple is not above his Master.”

Our safeguard is in the shallow things. We have to live the surface commonsense life in a commonsense way; when the deeper things come, God gives them to us apart from the shallow concerns. Never show the deeps to anyone but God. We are so abominably serious, so desperately interested in our own characters, that we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.

Determinedly take no one seriously but God, and the first person you find you have to leave severely alone as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.

AMEN! Make JESUS your #1 Priority and HE will make YOU HIS! Here are Hillsong Kids with "My Number One": 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's "From Faith To Faith" devotional!

Give God the Glory

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John 15:8

There's an old Full Gospel tradition that says God gets glory from the wonderful way His children bear pain and agony and that the world is impressed by that. What a lie! That's simply a tool of the devil to keep God's children in bondage.

People of the world already have all the pain and agony they want. They aren't looking for a way into it. They are looking for a way out. They don't care what you preach. It's the religious people who get worried about that. The world, the sinners, are smarter than that. All they care about are the results.

That's why they'll come to your church when they hear people are getting healed, delivered and set free from suffering. That's what they're looking for, and that's what God wants them to receive.

The Bible says that God gets glory when they see the lame walk and the blind see (Matthew 15:31). Jesus said, "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8). What is that fruit? Lives being restored and healed by the power of God.

There was a man who came to one of our healing meetings who was so far gone with cancer he had almost no energy or life about him. He didn't even know the Lord, but he came expecting a miracle. During the miracle service, the Lord told Ken someone was being healed of cancer, in the glands, in the throat, and in the chest. When the man came up and received his healing, he said, "I left the hospital this morning with cancer and I'm healed." He went back to the hospital that afternoon and the doctors checked and dismissed him. As a result, the man received Jesus as his Lord, and later that day he was restored to his wife from whom he'd been separated. He got born again, healed and his marriage put back together in one day!

Now that's fruit! That brings God glory. When we minister healing and deliverance like Jesus on the earth, that brings God glory. Let's do away with religious tradition and go with what the Word says. Let's impress the world with Jesus and give God the glory today!

Let's agree with every WORD that GOD has spoken concerning US! HE is ALWAYS TRUE! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's reading in John 18 we see a very interesting exchange between JESUS and Pilate! Verses 33-38:

33 So Pilate went back again into the judgment hall and called Jesus and asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus replied, Are you saying this of yourself [on your own initiative], or have others told you about Me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your [own] people and nation and their chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done? 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom (kingship, royal power) belongs not to this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have been fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here (this world); [it has no such origin or source]. 37 Pilate said to Him, Then You are a King? Jesus answered, You say it! [You speak correctly!] For I am a King. [Certainly I am a King!] This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth] hears and listens to My voice. 38 Pilate said to Him, What is Truth? On saying this he went out to the Jews again and told them, I find no fault in Him.

Pilate is having a hard time figuring out why the Jewish high priests and some of the people want Jesus condemned. He first asked Jesus if He was a King! When Jesus answered him, as only Jesus could, then Pilate asked again if JESUS was a King! I LOVE the answer JESUS gives, especially fromt he Amplified Bible! He said "I am a King! CERTAINLY I AM A KING!" I LOVE that! Of course JESUS is KING of all kings and LORD of all lords, but He is not YET walking in that role! YET! And then Pilate said that he had found NO FAULT in the SINLESS JESUS! There is SO MUCH TRUTH in these verses! I LOVE the Word of God! I hope that you do, too! Another favorite passage from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is found in Psalm 141:2:

2 Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

THIS is a line from a song by Hillsong Worship called "Like Incense - Sometimes By Step":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 17 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. The Gospel of John is my favorite of the Gospels and this chapter is one of my favorites in this book. Jesus is here praying to the Father about those He is leaving behind, and then He says this about US in verses 20-21:

20 Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, 21 That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.

WE are His witnesses here on earth! Witnesses to the world that JESUS is GOD and that He LOVES us! And then my favorite verse of this book is verse 17:

17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

Everything we need to know is found inthe WORD of GOD, and no matter what anyone else says, if it does not agree with the WORD of GOD, it is NOT TRUTH! When you and I make the Word of God our standard, and obey it, we cannot fail! Let's dig in to the Word of God this coming year more than we ever have before and EXPECT Holy Spirit, our personal TEACHER, to show us so much more! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace" devotional! This is SO good!

The Gracious Gift of Righteousness

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

If you struggle, as many believers do, with whether you deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious, you are asking the wrong question.

The question you should be asking is, does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious? Because you are in Christ, having a blessed future is not contingent on how much you strive to be perfect or how hard you work at changing yourself. It is contingent on the person of Jesus.

The Bible proclaims, “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious? Then so do you! This is what being in Christ Jesus means. It means that today, God assesses you and sees you based on the perfection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ righteousness is your righteousness. In fact, the Bible explains that because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, we are now the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“Righteousness” is a legal term. It means to have right standing before God. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words defines righteousness as “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.” In other words, your right standing before God is based upon Jesus’ right standing before God.

Today, you are as righteous as Jesus because your righteousness is from Him. He purchased it for you at the cross. When you received Him as your Lord and Savior, He took away all your unrighteousness once and for all and gave you His gift of righteousness. This righteousness is something that you can never obtain or achieve through your right doing; it can only be received by your right believing in Jesus.

And do you know what happens when you receive this gift of righteousness? The Bible declares that “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). Hey, when you reign, your addictions don’t. When you reign, sicknesses don’t. When you reign, fear, depression, and every obstacle that is obstructing you from living your life to the fullest will be torn down and flushed out!

THIS is how GOD sees us! Through the BLOOD of JESUS! Refuse to dishonor the LORD JESUS and His BLOOD that was shed FOR US! Find out what the Word of God has to say about YOU! Now celebrate that and walk in it, to HIS GLORY! HE is waiting on YOU to do so! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Every verse of Psalm 138 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan is a great declaration or a promise for God's people!

[A Psalm] of David.
1 I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
3 In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
4 All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.

If you need a boost for your praise life, try singing the Psalms to Him! They were the original praise songs! Here are Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read John 14 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. There are SO many powerful TRUTHS right here in this one chapter! The most important to begin with is found in verse 6:

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

JESUS is the ONLY  WAY for anyone to get to God the Father! HE made the WAY and there is NO OTHER! ONce you have that settled in your heart and life, THEN you can truly LIVE! Then JESUS spoken of Holy Spirit in verses 16-17:

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— 17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

The ministry of the Spirit of Almighty God is to live IN us, FILL us with His presence WHEN WE ASK, and then lead, guide and direct us in every area of this life as we run our race and fulfill our individual calling. The unbeliever CANNOT receive Holy Spirit. They MUST be born again first! Once they become a new creation, THEN they can receive the infilling of the Spirit! Part of His work in us is described in verse 26:

26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

I hope that you all have received JESUS as Lord and Saviour and Holy Spirit as your Teacher and all of the other roles that HE is IN us to fulfill! Do not let a day go by without spending quality, intimate timein the presence of God by HIS SPIRIT in you! Your life will never be the same once you make THIS your priority! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share agan from Oswald Chamers' devotional "My Utmost For His Highest".

What Is That To Thee?

Lord, what shall this man do?…What is that to thee? Follow thou Me. — John 21:21-22

One of our severest lessons comes from the stubborn refusal to see that we must not interfere in other people’s lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God’s order for others. You see a certain person suffering, and you say — “He shall not suffer, and I will see that he does not.” You put your hand straight in front of God’s permissive will to prevent it, and God says — “What is that to thee?” If there is stagnation spiritually, never allow it to go on, but get into God’s presence and find out the reason for it. Possibly you will find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another; proposing things you had no right to propose; advising when you had no right to advise. When you do have to give advice to another, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His Spirit; your part is to be so rightly related to God that His discernment comes through you all the time for the blessing of another soul.

Most of us live on the borders of consciousness — consciously serving, consciously devoted to God. All this is immature, it is not the real life yet. The mature stage is the life of a child which is never conscious; we become so abandoned to God that the consciousness of being used never enters in. When we are consciously being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, there is another stage to be reached, where all consciousness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent on God.

John 21:21-22 is one of my favorite portions of Scripture! Peter was so anxious to find out what God's will for others was, but Jesus basically told him "Mind your own business"! We are NOT going to be told by Holy Spirit what God's plan for another person is! That is not how He operates. Be content to find out His will for YOU and DO IT! HE will take care of everyone else! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

One of my very favorite messages in Scripture is found in today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers! 

What Is That To Thee?

Lord, what shall this man do?…What is that to thee? Follow thou Me. — John 21:21-22

One of our severest lessons comes from the stubborn refusal to see that we must not interfere in other people’s lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God’s order for others. You see a certain person suffering, and you say — “He shall not suffer, and I will see that he does not.” You put your hand straight in front of God’s permissive will to prevent it, and God says — “What is that to thee?” If there is stagnation spiritually, never allow it to go on, but get into God’s presence and find out the reason for it. Possibly you will find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another; proposing things you had no right to propose; advising when you had no right to advise. When you do have to give advice to another, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His Spirit; your part is to be so rightly related to God that His discernment comes through you all the time for the blessing of another soul.

Most of us live on the borders of consciousness — consciously serving, consciously devoted to God. All this is immature, it is not the real life yet. The mature stage is the life of a child which is never conscious; we become so abandoned to God that the consciousness of being used never enters in. When we are consciously being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, there is another stage to be reached, where all consciousness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent on God.

I LOVE that JESUS basically told him: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Let's keep our focus daily on the WORD, the WILL and the SPIRIT of Almighty God for our own lives and be ever ready to help others! Here is Hillsong with "Desert Song":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Our Spoken Word Church website devotional for today is so very simple and practical, yet a powerful key for walking in divine prosperity! 

Pinpoint Your Needs. List your personal financial needs. These may include money for your home, your children's education, or whatever. Your faith will begin to respond to this specific target. Now, hold this list before the Lord Jesus. Wrap your faith around it, and watch Jehovah-Jireh, your provider, begin to move in your life.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." {Philippians 4:19}

Standing on the Word of God means KNOWING the WORD, SPEAKING the WORD, DOING the WORD, and then REJOICING over the answer! Now go and put that into practice! It is the key for receiving anything and everything from God! Here is Hillsong with  "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 133 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and it is a great one!

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. 3 It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

THIS is our Father's desire! That we who have received JESUS as Lord and Saviour should be in unity and walk in love with each other! Whenn this happens, the enemy cannot hinder us in carrying our GOD'S will on the earth! HALLELUJAH! And then we have THIS powerful verse in John 10:10:

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

This IS God's perfect will for each of us! Let's be pleasing to HIM by walking in this great pursuit of HIS PRESENCE! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Secret Place":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional.

The Supreme Climb

Take now thy son… — Genesis 22:2

God’s command is— Take now, not presently. It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once. To climb to the height God shows can never be done presently, it must be done now. The sacrifice is gone through in will before it is performed actually.

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning,…and went unto the place of which God had told him” (verse 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood. Beware when you want to confer with flesh and blood, i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God. These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.

Abraham did not choose the sacrifice. Always guard against self-chosen service for God; self-sacrifice may be a disease. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential order of God for you is a hard time of difficulty, go through with it, but never choose the scene of your martyrdom. God chose the crucible for Abraham, and Abraham made no demur; he went steadily through. If you are not living in touch with Him, it is easy to pass a crude verdict on God. You must go through the crucible before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because in the crucible you learn to know God better. God is working for His highest ends until His purpose and man’s purpose become one.

Simple obedience to the Word of God is all that is required of us! Find out what the Word of God has to say about any and every situation and then DO IT! There is no other way to truly please God! Let's make it our determined purpose to STAY inthe will and WORD of GOd! THAT is the place of highest blessing and greatest protection. Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Honey In The Rock":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I simply want to encourage you to be DOERS of Joshua 1:8:

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

"Meditate" is the Hebrew word "hagah", which means: to murmer, to ponder, to utter, to mutter, to muse, to imagine, to speak. Doing all of these things allow Holy Spirit, Who lives IN us and is our personal Teacher, to show us all of the various ways that we can obey the Word of God, giving HIM something to work with to confirm His Word in our lives! Let's get busy! There is MUCH more to learn! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek" Volume 2! 

WHEN PAUL'S FRIENDS SAVED HIS LIFE.

And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. — Acts 19:30-31

The book of Acts relates an interesting story about the apostle Paul in which he was about to endanger his life until his friends stepped in, took control of the situation, and saved him from danger. Today I want to tell you about that event — and as you read, I want you to think about the times God has used family, friends, or acquaintances to save you from mistakes you were about to make!

We find the account in Acts 19. A huge demonstration against Christians took place in the Great Theater of Ephesus. Concerned about the negative impact that the Gospel was having on their businesses, angry rioters took to the streets and dragged several of Paul’s companions into the theater (see verse 29).

When Paul heard what was happening, he wanted to rush into the demonstration and join his detained friends. The Bible doesn’t tell us why he wanted to do this. Maybe he thought he could save them from being hurt, or perhaps he wanted to be alongside them because they were his traveling companions.

However, regardless of Paul’s motivation, the Bible tells us that his friends immediately stepped in to convince him otherwise. Acts 19:30-31 records: “And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.”

Notice verse 30 states that Paul “…would have entered in unto the people….” The word “would” here is a translation of the Greek word boulemai, meaning to counsel, to advise, or to exercise one’s will about something. In this context, it means that after thinking through all the consequences of his decision, Paul counseled himself and made up his mind to enter the theater. Fully realizing that doing so could place his life in jeopardy, Paul still concluded that he should join his friends in their plight.

Verse 30 goes on to say that Paul “…would have entered in unto the people….” The word “people” is the Greek word demos. In this context, the word demos refers to a large mass of people. The Great Theater of Ephesus seated approximately 24,000 people — and the use of the word demos in verse 30 indicates that the seats were nearly packed by the time Paul decided to join the fray. As the screams and shouts of the rioters reverberated throughout the city, people came from every quarter of Ephesus to investigate the source of the disturbance.

As Paul began to make his way toward the Great Theater, Acts 19:30 says, “…The disciples suffered him not.” When this verse states that the disciples prohibited Paul from entering the Great Theater of Ephesus, it refers to ardent followers — serious students who believed in Paul and felt a strong allegiance to him and to his ministry. Therefore, when they saw that the apostle had determined to enter the theater, they took action to stop him.

It is natural that Paul wanted to join his ministry associates when they potentially faced trouble in the theater. However, although this act of courage may at first appear heroic, it could have resulted in Paul’s premature death and the end of his ministry. If he had done as he planned and suffered death as a result, the loss of his ministry at that time would have been a devastating blow to the work of God’s Kingdom.

These verses provide a vivid example of how God often uses friends and disciples to stop us from making mistakes that may have devastating consequences. Paul’s desire to enter the theater may have seemed like the right thing to do at that moment. But the apostle had much more work to do, and those who were committed to him and his ministry stepped forward — possibly against his will — to stop him from making a mistake that could have had life-threatening ramifications.

And it wasn’t only Paul’s disciples who tried to stop him from entering the theater. Even pagan unbelievers who respected the apostle knew that this wasn’t the right thing for him to do. Acts 19:31 says, “And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.”

The “certain of the chief of Asia” is a translation of the word Asiarch, which is a title derived from the word Asia and archos. The word Asia, of course, referred to that region of the world. The word archos is the Greek word that describes someone of a high rank or position. When the two words were compounded, the new word became a particular title given to ten high-ranking men throughout Asia Minor as representatives of the Roman emperor.

This is a very important point because it reveals that Paul’s ministry had permeated the lofty classes of society. Just as Jesus had been a friend to sinners and tax collectors, Paul was a friend to the local Asiarch — a prestigious unbeliever who served the emperor. This man had been sufficiently exposed to Paul to develop a strong respect for him. So when the Asiarch suddenly became aware of Paul’s intention to enter the theater, he and his high-ranking associates took action to prevent him from being personally injured as a result of such a rash action.

Paul was a spiritual man, but God used others to redirect Paul’s steps and prohibit him from taking a detrimental course of action — as the Lord often does with His people. In this case, He came from every direction, using both believing disciples and high-ranking pagans to stop Paul from taking a step that could have resulted in tragedy.

Acts 19 doesn’t tell us whether or not Paul agreed with those who protested his intention to enter the theater. Regardless of how the apostle felt about the situation, however, it remains a fact that their actions stopped the apostle from acting on a potentially tragic decision. I’m sure when the event was finished, Paul was thankful for the actions of his friends that intervened on his behalf that day.

Can you think of a time when God used family, friends, or associates to help navigate you through a difficult time or to redirect you when you were about to make a fateful decision? Or maybe there was a moment when God used you to do this for someone else.

We may not always appreciate it when our friends act on our behalf, but when the situation calms down and we see things from a different perspective, we often realize that God was using our friends to spare us. Later we are thankful that God used them to help us when we didn’t see things so correctly.

Why don’t you stop and thank God today for the family, friends, and acquaintances that God has used in your life in a similar way?

AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with"All This Future":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin is another one of my favorites!

Feelings

 For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. — HEBREWS 13:5

A woman came up to me at the close of a service where I had taught on faith. She was crying almost hysterically. She said, “Brother Hagin, pray for me!”

“What is the matter?” I asked.

“It seems like the Lord has forsaken me!”

“What awful sin have you committed to make the Lord forsake you?”

“As far as I know, I haven’t done anything,” she said. “It just seems like the presence of the Lord is gone from me.”

“The Bible doesn’t say we walk by ‘seems like,’” I explained to her. “It says we walk by faith. And God’s Word says that the Lord will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

“I know that,” she cried, “but it just seems like He has.”

“You have more faith in ‘seems like’ than you have in the Bible.”

“But I know what I feel!” she said, almost angrily.

“Yes,” I said, “but I know my Jesus. Jesus said it, and I believe it. We cannot be concerned by what we feel.”

If you start believing right, thinking right, and talking right, it won’t be long until you’ll be feeling right!

Confession: Jesus will never leave me, nor forsake me. He said it. I believe it. And I say it.

AMEN! KNOW what the Word of God has to say about every area of your life! Seek the TRUTH of the WORD (John 17:17) and then stand on it! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We have been reading the "Song of Ascents" in the Psalms lately in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. These were songs sung by the Jewish people as they made their way in Jerusalem to the Temple for the celebrations of the sacred Feasts. They were preparing their hearts to celebrate God's promises to them. Today's is especially good! Psalm 128:

A Song of Ascents.
1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments.
2 For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your children shall be like olive plants round about your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you out of Zion [His sanctuary], and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;
6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

Make sure that YOU are aware of the promises of God for the born again believer and that you are walking in them, bringing joy to HIS heart and making His GLORY known! Here is Hillsong with "Song For His Presence":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional by Oswald Chambers!

Programme Of Belief

Believest thou this? —John 11:26

Martha believed in the power at the disposal of Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been present He could have healed her brother. She also believed that Jesus had a peculiar intimacy with God and that whatever He asked of God, God would do; but she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s programme of belief had its fulfilment in the future; Jesus led her on until her belief became a personal possession, and then slowly emerged into a particular inheritance — “Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ….”

Is there something like that in the Lord’s dealings with you? Is Jesus educating you into a personal intimacy with Himself? Let Him press home His question to you — “Believest thou this?” What is your ordeal of doubt? Have you come, like Martha, to some overwhelming passage in your circumstances where your programme of belief is about to emerge into a personal belief? This can never be until a personal need arises out of a personal problem.

To believe is to commit. In the programme of mental belief I commit myself, and abandon all that is not related to that commitment. In personal belief I commit myself morally to this way of confidence and refuse to compromise with any other; and in particular belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ, and determine in that thing to be dominated by the Lord alone.

When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me — “Believest thou this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing, and I am staggered that I was so stupid as not to trust Him before.

HALLELUJAH! My goal is to have this walk of faith be as natural as breathing! It is NOT what I do, but WHO I AM! IN HIM! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are reading John 3 for our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and it is one of my favorite chapters in my favorite Gospel! First we have this very clear statement of TRUTH from JESUS to Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, in verse 3:

3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

What must we do to see the kingdom of God? BE BORN AGAIN! Very clear here that there IS no other WAY! But then JESUS clarifies this more in verses 16-17:

16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

HALLELUJAH! JESUS did not, does not and was never sent into this world to condemn us for sin, but to SAVE us from the PENALTY of that sin! Verse 18 makes it even clearer!

18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]

WE CHOOSE! JESUS made a WAY for us! WE CHOOSE! We will ALL live FOREVER! SOMEWHERE! That SOMEWHERE is OUR CHOICE! What LOVE! What GRACE! What a WONDEFUL LOVE that would GIVE so much for those who do not deserve it! How could ANYONE turn their back on a LOVE like THIS? I hope that YOU have received HIS LOVE! Now tell others so they can, too! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Tell The World":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional.

Words

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. — PROVERBS 6:2

Many Christians blame certain things on the devil, when actually they are taken captive by the words of their own mouths. One writer expressed it this way:

You said you could not — and the moment you said it you were whipped. You said you did not have faith — and doubt rose up like a giant and bound you. You are imprisoned with your own words. You talked failure, and failure held you in bondage.

Our words dominate us. That’s what Jesus was saying in Mark 11:23: “. . . he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

Never talk failure. Never talk defeat. Never acknowledge for one moment that God’s ability or power cannot put you over. If you do talk failure or defeat, you are acknowledging that God cannot and has not put you over in life.

But thank God, He can! And He has! If you will believe right and talk right, you will walk in the reality of it!

Confession: I refuse to talk failure. I refuse to talk defeat. God puts me over in life.

AMEN! Make this YOUR 'determined purpose' also! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE the Gospel of John! Especially these first 5 verses!

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

HALLELUJAH for the TRUTH that is the WORD of GOD! Before anything was, JESUS was! The Living Word of the Living GOD! HE created everything by the Words of His mouth! And THAT is what HE has called US to do! Find the promises of God in His Word that pertain to what YOU need and desire. Now meditate on that Word until Holy Spirit causes it to rise up in you, bringing FAITH! Now SPEAK that WORD and stand back and SEE the Slavation and deliverance of your GOD because HE ALWAYS moves in response to HIS WORD! SPEAK THE WORD and see! Here is Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan in Psalm 123 we see not only praises to our GREAT GOD, but also a prayer that HE is about to answer for us!

A Song of Ascents.
1 Unto You do I lift up my eyes, O You Who are enthroned in heaven.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy and loving-kindness for us.
3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on and loving-kindness for us, for we are exceedingly satiated with contempt.
4 Our life is exceedingly filled with the scorning and scoffing of those who are at ease and with the contempt of the proud (irresponsible tyrants who disregard God’s law).

AMEN! Our God is more fed up than many of us are over the fraudulent, unlawful, illegal, corrupt, ungodly, heinous crimes of those presently masquerading as leaders of this nation! We are about to see a mighty change! HALLELUJAH! Continue to TRUST in the Lord our God for HE loves this nation more than we do! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Deeper Waters" where HE leads us every moment! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 122 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. This Psalm is all about Israel and how we should view and respond to this nation that belongs to GOD!

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!—
3 Jerusalem, which is built as a city that is compacted together—
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed and as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there the thrones of judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!
7 May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces!
8 For my brethren and companions’ sake, I will now say, Peace be within you!
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good.

Make sure that YOU view Israel as the Word of God instructs! Remember that God Himself declared that those who BLESS Israel will be BLESSED and those who curse Israel will be cursed! I know what side I CHOOSE! And then we read 3 John and verses 2-4 are a specific message to us! 

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers. 3 In fact, I greatly rejoiced when [some of] the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke [so highly] of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth [the whole Gospel presents]. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living their lives in the Truth.

Let's keep bringing JOY to HIM! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Days Like These (TRUST U)":

Shalom in Him!